It was, quite possibly, the first time in Bake Off history that Cake Week passed with no tiers and no tears… but that didn’t make us any the less sad to say goodbye to Peter, the first baker of series eight to leave the tent. He might have only been with us for one week, but his passionate commitment to home-made bread and his quest for the perfect macaron means he’s taken a slice of our hearts with him on his way out of the series.
We sat down for one last helping of afternoon tea with 52-year-old Peter, an IT Manager from Essex, to relive the experience with him.
Hi Peter! How are you feeling after leaving the tent?
“To be one of the 12 bakers to enter the tent was a huge personal achievement. No matter how far you go in the series, it’s still great to be part of the show. And it doesn’t end for me on Week One, as all of the bakers are my friends now, and they are amazing in their own way. I will be watching them throughout, of course.”
So how did you end up applying for the show?
“I remember as a child growing up in Nigeria my neighbour was a baker and she supplied one of the local supermarkets. She would give the leftovers to us, and that kind of inspired me to bake. I began baking bread first and then moved on to biscuits and cakes. Baking is very therapeutic for me; you are creating something within your own space. You can take a recipe and change it around to make something new.”
Talk us through your ‘pies’ and ‘doughs’. Let’s start with the positives…
“My best moment overall was the selection process, I really enjoyed that. I didn’t find it terrifying, in fact I found it really interesting.”
… And what about any dough moments?
“My worst moment was probably my technical bake. It started going wrong with the decoration. I could have done better, but I actually used the wrong type of chocolate for the decoration. If I did it all again, the only thing I would want to change is that I could have gone further, and last more than one week!”
What’s your plan for watching the rest of the series?
“I am really looking forward to An Extra Slice. I love Jo Brand, she is so funny. That will be something I will really enjoy.”
Any last words?
“I’m disappointed to be the first off, but it has been a lovely experience throughout. It was quite surreal from day one, and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. My advice? Let’s all start baking and make the world a better place!”
Goodbye, Peter – scone but not forgotten!